Hello Mt. Peak Family,

We’re thrilled to see our 2nd graders ready to honor our Veterans on Monday! They’ve been working hard to prepare a meaningful program, and we’re so proud of their dedication. Here’s the link to the video we’ll be showing, which also pays tribute to the Veterans connected to our students.

This week, we’ve had a couple of important safety reminders. First, if you’re dropping off your child after an appointment or if they’re arriving late, please walk them into the building and check in at the front desk. This allows us to make sure they safely enter and get to their class on time. Additionally, we’ve received reports of drivers rolling through stop signs, especially at the intersection of Red Rose Trail and McAlpin. With many students walking to and from school, it’s crucial for everyone’s safety that we come to a complete stop. Your extra caution makes a big difference in keeping our community safe. Thank you for your cooperation!

With just two weeks left before Thanksgiving break, please encourage your student to stay focused. These weeks can be challenging with the excitement of the upcoming holiday, but we have lots of learning left to do and appreciate your support in helping students stay on track.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Adam Henke

Principal

adam.henke@midlothianisd.org

November is National Native American/ American Indian & Alaska Native Heritage Month

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month

Nov 11: Veterans Day

Nov 11: 2nd Grade Veterans Day Performance (During school only)

Nov 15: ILS and ABLE Field Trip Reflection for Paws Ranch in Midlothian

Nov 18: Mt Peak Student Council Lead Pledges at Board Meeting @ 6:30

Henke/Peterman Present at Board Meeting

Nov 20: Education Support Professionals Day

Nov 21: Peak Pep Rally!!

- 8:00 am PreK to 2nd

- 10:30 am 3rd - 5th

Nov 21: Sweet Boxes for STAFF from PTO

Nov 21: MEF Bingo and Bags Night

Nov 22: Substitute Appreciation Day

Nov 22: Student Holiday/Professional Learning/Staff Meeting

Nov 25 - 29: Student/Staff Holiday (Thanksgiving Break)

Dec 9: Preview Day for PTO Holiday Store

Dec 9: MOY MAP ELAR

Dec 10: 5th Grade Performance (During and After school)

Dec 10 -12: PTO Holiday Store

Dec 11: MOY MAP MATH

Dec 12: MOY MAP SCIENCE

Dec 18: Winter Parties

Dec 19: Student Early Release Day

Dec 19: End of 2nd 9 Weeks

Dec 20: Student Holiday/Teacher Exchange Day

Dec 23-Jan 3: Student/Staff Holiday (Winter Break)

First grade students are learning to identify the external structures of different animals and compare how those structures help different animals live, move, and meet their basic needs for survival. To help explore the habitats of some of the animals they have learned about, each student got to experience our new VR headsets! They explored the Tanzania Rainforest, scuba diving with ocean life and get up close to great white sharks! We are excited to continue exploring different topics with science and technology this school year! A big thanks to MEF for providing the grant for this unique opportunity for our students!

2nd grade has been learning about 3D shapes! We created our own shapes using gumdrops for vertices and toothpicks for edges to count and record the different shape attributes!

Miss Steele’s class has been diving into the world of 3D shapes by learning about their unique attributes. Students had a hands-on opportunity to explore geometry by using shape nets to create 3D models, allowing them to see how different faces come together to form cubes, pyramids, and other structures. It’s been an exciting way for them to bring math concepts to life!

We’ve been learning so much about 3D shapes! Students had the opportunity to build them today using toothpicks and marshmallows for their tools. They had to make sure to use the correct number of faces, edges, and vertices. We love hands on learning!

This week, Ms. McVey’s 5th grade Math class learned how to model dividing with fractions. They used shapes and number lines to learn how to complete this process. The students will build upon this knowledge to learn how to solve dividing with fraction word problems.

Mrs. Jacobs and and Ms. Stelter’s students learned about voting today!

In Mrs. Jacob’s room, we read Duck for President and voted for who we thought the best candidate would be

In Ms. Stelter’s room the students learned about voting today. Each student cast his vote in our class vote for President of the United States. We then discussed who got more votes and who got less votes and they were able to see who won based on their voting.

Mrs. Scott’s room has student leadership opportunities built into all parts of her lesson. She did a great job of hooking all of her students into their learning, and they collaborated effectively in their group discussions and activities! Way to go!

Students in Ms. Sims’ room chose to spend their indoor recess building more circuits! They love science!

3-5 graders are reading “Twenty-one Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier” as we prepare for Veterans Day next week. Students enjoyed hearing about the traditions and watching live feed of memorial and the changing of the guard.

Mrs. Hobbs’ library ambassador program started last week! Another great opportunity for student leadership at Peak!

The 3rd grade students from Mrs. Sandlin and Mrs. Williams’ classes solved reading challenges to figure out what type of figurative language each station was hiding. Every time they solved the challenge they moved to the next figurative language station. They had to breakthrough each station to get to become Royalty.

Parents you will find the Manna House Angel Tree flyers coming home with your child. Please take a moment to consider supporting this program and return the paper.

Thank you!

Third grade adding a bit of October fun to reading this month with our Pumpkin Book projects. Students got excited about reading while giving them a chance to express their creativity about their book’s main or minor characters with their pumpkins.

We love these amazing pumpkin projects!

https://youtu.be/F8AW_DTYEuY

First graders are learning what it means to have teamwork, our CKH character trait for November. They listened to 'A Little SPOT of Teamwork' by Diane Alber and then split into groups to collaborate a design for their SPOT, allowing all in the group to contribute.

In Mr. Lewiston’s class we are testing the amount of air pressure resistance of brand-name and offbrand paper towels

The Adopt-a-Shelf program is in its first year at MPE and is open for 3rd and 4th grade students. Students are assigned a shelf in the library and they are to check on it throughout the week to make sure the shelf is neat and orderly. This lets student take responsibility and pride in the library, while helping Mrs. Hobbs.

On Mondays, a winner of each section is chosen. Winners each week will be put in to a drawing for prizes, including free books, at the end of each semester.

Every year, radio station KSCS 96.3 does a Christmas card drive for our military troops serving overseas. The goal of the station is to get at least 10,000, but they usually exceed that number. Last year, Mt Peak contributed over 250 cards. This year, we'd like to see if we can top that number. We have asked teachers, in all grades and classrooms, to participate in this service project. MPE kiddos will either be making their cards or writing in a pre-made card the teacher provides. The radio station has several drop locations for the cards, and a deadline of November 22. We will be collecting cards from our classes from now until November 21. If parents and loved ones would also like to contribute cards, you can bring them to the office before the 21st, and we will add them in with our total. Last year, the kids were very excited to make their cards, and we can't wait to see the beautiful cards our students make this year.

We are excited to share an opportunity to get involved with the school through our Father Figure volunteer group, DOGS. This group steps in to help whenever the need arises, whether it's assisting with the drop-off car line on Friday mornings or giving our staff a break during particularly cold or rainy weather. The commitment is flexible—you don't need to be there every Friday, but when you can participate, the kids and staff truly appreciate it.

We'll also have various opportunities throughout the school year to help out with setting up for school events. It's a great way to make a positive impact, and the kids love seeing the dads and father figures involved.

If you'd like to join, please click [this link] to sign up.

Background Checks

While completing a background check isn't mandatory, it's always a good idea to have one on file in case an event comes up that requires volunteer help inside the school. You can complete the Volunteer Background Check here.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email Mr. Henke at adam.henke@midlothianisd.org.

We would love to see a strong group of men involved at Mt. Peak, so please consider signing up!

We would love you to follow along during the week for updates of what is happening at Mt Peak. You can follow along on Facebook There is an imposter site. So, please follow the one with a picture of the school in the header.

The Mt Peak mission statement is the Mt Peak family will make a positive difference in the lives we touch by putting children first and challenging everyone to reach their full potential.

Our staff is working so hard for your kids! We would love for you to share the impact they are having on your child or any special information you would like to share. Please fill out this form for us.

Thank you!

Hello, I hope that everyone is enjoying this Fall weather as much as I am! We have had a great week at Mt. Peak this week. I have been able to visit with classes about our November CKH character trait which is Cooperation/Teamwork. Our 3rd, 4th and 5th graders have had the opportunity to work in groups in order to design t-shirts representing their idea about teamwork. It is amazing to see the creativity in their work. In this month of November, I try to stop and think each day about what I am thankful for and one of those is the support that you provide to our school. Thank you!

Wendy Waldroup

Counselor

What is Teamwork?

Teamwork is the ability to work in unity with others towards a common goal. For us to learn how to become team players, it is important that we learn to listen, encourage our peers, and allow and invite others to contribute their talents and skills.

Why focus on Teamwork?

• Teamwork improves communication: Teamwork helps us improve our verbal and non-verbal communication skills, conveying that we care and a relevant message.
• Teamwork builds interpersonal awareness: Growing a great team requires us to first build strong relationships through a better understanding of ourselves and others.
• Teamwork celebrates diversity. Teamwork thrives from diverse ideas that come from a mixture of different genders, cultures, expertise, experience, and problem-solving approaches.

Teamwork in Action:

• Call them a team, not a class or group. A group consists of many different people. A team, however, has a common purpose and a shared responsibility for success.
• Require teams to set expectations for and manage their own behavior. Do not tell teams what type of behavior is expected—let them decide for themselves with a Social Contract.
• Teach and encourage affirmations. Giving affirmations helps connect the team, builds trust, promotes engagement, and boosts a positive culture.

Loved visiting Mrs. Lang’s room this week and seeing all the Capturing Kids Hearts elements built into her kindergarten class. There were so many opportunities for student leadership. Way to go!

Mark your calendars! Check back regularly for updates and new events added

Dec 10: 6:00 PM 5th School Performance & PTO Meeting

Feb 11: PTO Meeting

Mar 6: PTO Meeting

Apr 1: 6:00 PM 1st Grade Performance & PTO Meeting

Apr 17: PTO Auction

May 15: PTO meeting voting for new board members

The YMCA utilizes Mt Peak for after school care on school days! For more information and the weekly newsletter click the button below.

Per MISD Athletics,

• Families should enter through Gate A.
• Free admission is available only for campus students. Parents are required to purchase a ticket.
• Students can either show their student ID or wear a campus spirit shirt for entry.

• MISD enforces a Clear Bag Policy.

• Please note that outside drinks (including tumblers) and food are not permitted.

A campus administrator will be on duty at Gate A to welcome families and answer any questions that may come up. Thank you! It is going to be a fun season, and I cannot wait to see the kids at the big game!

Mt Peak has a great director and would love to serve you. Register here for after-school childcare.

If you believe you have opted into the text alert feature and are not receiving text messages, go to your Skyward Family Access account and click on “Skylert” to verify your contact information. Update information if needed and allow 24 hours for our systems to recognize your changes. You should begin receiving text alerts and emails.

If you unsubscribed to receiving email notification please complete this form (https://forms.gle/3sUmoWnjT7S7cpx27) to re-activate your email notifications.

All Texas school districts are required by law to distribute information to parents and guardians about the safe storage of firearms. House Bill 3, Section 19 added Section 37.222 to the Texas Education Code, which requires the Texas School Safety Center, in collaboration with the Texas Department of Public Safety, to provide information and resources to school districts for the purpose of disseminating the information to parents. The Texas DPS launched a Keep ‘Em Safe Texas website that provides safety resources, materials, and tips for practicing safe gun storage to prevent accidents and keep children safe. Remember, a gun should be stored unloaded in a safe or locked container, with ammunition stored elsewhere. You can learn more and find additional resources from the Texas Department of Public Safety at https://safegunstoragetexas.com.

Below are resources that have been previously shared with parents/students with accessing and logging in to district resources. As we approach mid year we wanted to share them again.

UPDATE this

• 24-25 Quickstart Guide for MISD Students [Grades 4-12]
  
• 24-25 Quickstart Guide for MISD Students [Grade 3]
• 24-25 Quickstart Guide for MISD Students [Grades K-2]
• 24-25 Quickstart Guide for Skyward Family Access
• How to Set Up Parent Canvas Observer Account
  
• 24-25 Student Guide to Canvas in the Classroom

Does your student need MISD school bus transportation? All students must have a current Bus Rider Contract on file for each year. All contracts received by the July 12 deadline will secure route information and transportation for the first week of school. Contracts received after July 12 are being processed on a first come, first served basis and transportation is not guaranteed for the first week of school.

If you have not submitted a contract for your student, please fill one out and return to the Transportation Department by emailing to bus_contracts@midlothianisd.org or by delivering to 601 E. Avenue E, Midlothian. Please remember that your student cannot ride the bus until their contract is processed.

Dear MISD Families,

You may have received this information directly from your campus, but we want to ensure all MISD families know about an update and opportunity from our Child Nutrition Department. Please disregard this message if you have already applied for free/reduced-price school meals for the 2023-24 school year.

Students who participated in the free/reduced-price meals program during the previous school year in Midlothian ISD could continue receiving free/reduced-price meals for the first 30 days of school. This 30-day grace period has now ended, and a new application must be submitted. Students will no longer receive free/reduced-price meals without application approval for the 2023-24 school year.

Please click here to visit the MISD Child Nutrition Department website for more information on school meals and to apply for the free/reduced-price meals program.

If you have any questions or need assistance, you can reach our Child Nutrition Department by emailing mandie.tucker@midlothianisd.org or calling (469) 856-5390.

MISD Communications

Midlothian ISD uses Skyward Family Access for enrollment and to give parents real-time data about their student's grades, attendance, assignments, and more. Alerts can be set to individual preferences and information.

Skyward Family Access: 23-24 Quickstart Guide for Skyward Family Access

August 9th, 12th, 16th, 23rd, 29th

September 6th, 13th, 19th, 28th

October 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th, 31st

November 8th, 15th, 21st,

5201 FM 663

Midlothian, Texas 76065

469-856-6300

https://mtpeak.midlothianisd.org/